Two Very Different Forms of Light

After beginning to feel as though two of my favorite older photos had been lost over the years, I had a stroke of luck this afternoon in finding them again, on my computer.

The first was taken with my current camera, and was one of two good shots of lightning I managed to capture during a storm in 2009. I'll admit that it was mostly luck. There was so much lightning and thunder going on that I was able to aim the camera at one point and just keep shooting. About five hundred photos later, I had two good photos. I've never been in a storm like it since.

The second was the light at the top of the driveway at the house I grew up in. Taken during a winter storm. I remember a couple of my friends saying the photo reminded them of some of the scenes from the Narnia movies.

Margaret Gwynne's Fruit Cobbler

I'm posting this recipe in honor of my great aunt whose life we just celebrated. She lived a good, long life to the age of 95 years.

Margaret Gwynne's Fruit Pudding/Cake

This was a very frequent star at the dinner table when I grew up. It's very simple to make, and flexible, based on the fruit you have around, although I've never tried making it with berries. In my family it was always apples, plums or apricots, though I've started making it with peaches and that works out wonderfully too.

This was always cooked in a smaller oven-proof dish. If my memory serves, it was usually about a 6x8 inch rectangle or similar dimensions oval oven-proof pan.

Ingredients (topping):

2 tbsp butter or margarine

½ cup sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

¾ cup flour

½ tsp vanilla

½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and beat well, then pour into the oven-proof dish over a layer of plums, apples, peaches or apricots or any combination of the four fruits.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Serve on it's own, with a bit of milk or ice cream.